Tragic Fall Claims Life of Young Woman at Cliffs of Moher
General News
Sunday 5th, May 2024
A young college student tragically lost her life yesterday after falling from the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. The incident occurred while she was visiting one of Ireland's most famous tourist spots with a group of friends.
Authorities were alerted to the accident at approximately 1:20 pm. A large scale search and rescue operation was immediately launched, coordinated by the Irish Coast Guard from their marine rescue centre on Valentia Island, Kerry, Ireland.
The response included members from the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard and local Gardaí, along with the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, which was quickly diverted from a training exercise near the Aran Islands to attend the emergency.
The Aran Islands RNLI all weather lifeboat also joined the effort, alongside units from the Clare County Fire and Rescue Service based in Ennistymon. Clare Civil Defence’s drone team was put on standby, they were later stood down as the victim was rapidly located.
The body of the young woman was recovered from the water by the crew of the Aran Island lifeboat and was brought to Doolin Pier, where further official procedures were carried out by the local Coast Guard team and Gardaí.
The deceased was then transferred to the Doolin Coast Guard station and officially pronounced dead. Plans are underway to transport her remains to University Hospital Limerick, where a postmortem will be conducted.
A spokesperson for the Garda confirmed the details of yesterday's harrowing events, "Gardaí and emergency services conducted an operation following reports of an incident at the Cliffs Moher yesterday afternoon. The body of a woman, aged in her early 20s, was removed from the water by emergency services. Her body remains at the scene".
The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's top tourist attractions, offering spectacular views from heights of up to 214 metres at their highest point. However, the area has witnessed similar tragic incidents in the past. In January 2019, a 26 year old Indian national died in a fall while reportedly taking selfies. Another visitor, a Hungarian man in his 20s, suffered a fatal fall in June 2007 under similar circumstances.
Yesterday’s incident once again raises concerns about safety measures at major tourist sites, especially in areas with such potentially hazardous terrain.
Authorities were alerted to the accident at approximately 1:20 pm. A large scale search and rescue operation was immediately launched, coordinated by the Irish Coast Guard from their marine rescue centre on Valentia Island, Kerry, Ireland.
The response included members from the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard and local Gardaí, along with the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, which was quickly diverted from a training exercise near the Aran Islands to attend the emergency.
The Aran Islands RNLI all weather lifeboat also joined the effort, alongside units from the Clare County Fire and Rescue Service based in Ennistymon. Clare Civil Defence’s drone team was put on standby, they were later stood down as the victim was rapidly located.
The body of the young woman was recovered from the water by the crew of the Aran Island lifeboat and was brought to Doolin Pier, where further official procedures were carried out by the local Coast Guard team and Gardaí.
The deceased was then transferred to the Doolin Coast Guard station and officially pronounced dead. Plans are underway to transport her remains to University Hospital Limerick, where a postmortem will be conducted.
A spokesperson for the Garda confirmed the details of yesterday's harrowing events, "Gardaí and emergency services conducted an operation following reports of an incident at the Cliffs Moher yesterday afternoon. The body of a woman, aged in her early 20s, was removed from the water by emergency services. Her body remains at the scene".
The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland's top tourist attractions, offering spectacular views from heights of up to 214 metres at their highest point. However, the area has witnessed similar tragic incidents in the past. In January 2019, a 26 year old Indian national died in a fall while reportedly taking selfies. Another visitor, a Hungarian man in his 20s, suffered a fatal fall in June 2007 under similar circumstances.
Yesterday’s incident once again raises concerns about safety measures at major tourist sites, especially in areas with such potentially hazardous terrain.
